GRADING POLICY AND SYSTEMS

GRADING POLICY

Policies concerning evaluation of student work ("grading") are under continuous review and
subject to change. Department chairs are responsible for informing department members of basic
faculty grading policy and procedures and for ensuring adherence to these policies and
procedures.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to describe to each class the methods of
evaluation. Students should feel free to ask for an explanation of the grading practices in
any course.

Basic Definitions

The following symbols shall be used in evaluating student performance. Performance will be
interpreted to reflect the quality of the student's accomplishment relative to the standards
set for each course.

A =

Performance of the student has been of the highest level, showing
sustained excellence in meeting course responsibilities.

B =

Performance of the student has been good, though not of the highest level.

C =

Performance of the student has been adequate, satisfactorily meeting the
course requirements.

D =

Performance of the student has been less than adequate.

F =

Performance of the student has been such that course requirements have not
been met.

CR =

(Credit) Performance of the student in undergraduate level course has been
equivalent to grades A through C-; performance of the student in graduate level courses
has been equivalent to grades A through B-.

NC =

(No Credit) Performance of the student has been less than that of CR
level.

I =

(Incomplete Authorized) Indicates that a portion of required course work has not been
completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified,
reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit. It is the responsibility of
the student to bring pertinent information to the attention of the instructor and to determine
from the instructor the remaining course requirements which must be satisfied to remove the
Incomplete. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and
evaluated. An I must normally be made up within one calendar year immediately following the
end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not the
student maintains continuous enrollment. Failure to complete the assigned work will result in
an I being converted to an IC symbol, unless the faculty member assigns a specific letter
grade at the time the Incomplete Authorized is assigned, which would replace the I in the
student's record at the end of the calendar year deadline.

IC =

(Incomplete Charged) Indicates that a student who received an authorized incomplete
(I) has not completed the required course work within the allowed time limit. The IC replaces
the I and is counted as a failing grade for grade point average and progress point computation.

W =

(Withdrawal) Indicates that the student was permitted to withdraw from the course after
the 4th week of instruction with the approval of the instructor and appropriate campus
officials. It carries no connotation of quality of student performance and is not used in
calculating grade point average or progress points.

WU=

(Withdrawal Unauthorized) Indicates that an enrolled student did not withdraw from the
course and also failed to complete course requirements. It is used when, in the opinion of the
instructor, completed assignments or course activities or both were insufficient to make normal
evaluation of academic performance possible. For purposes of grade point average and progress
point computation, this symbol is equivalent to an F.

AU =

(Audit) Indicates that the student was enrolled on a non-credit basis. Enrollment as
an auditor is subject to the permission of the instructor and shall be permitted only after
students otherwise eligible to enroll in the course on a credit basis have had an opportunity
to do so. Auditors are subject to the same fee structure as credit students and regular class
attendance is expected. Once enrolled as an auditor, a student may not change to credit status
unless such a change is requested prior to the last day to add classes. A student who is
enrolled for credit may not change to audit after the second week of instruction.

RP =

(Report in Progress) Used in connection with courses that extend beyond one academic
term. It indicates that work is in progress but that assignment of a final grade must await
completion of additional work. Work is to be completed within one year except for graduate
culminating experience courses.

RD =

(Report Delayed) Indicates no grade was turned in by the professor. It is used where
a delay in the reporting of a grade is due to circumstances beyond the control of the student.
The symbol may be assigned by the registrar only and, if assigned, shall be replaced by a
substantive grading symbol as soon as possible.

GRADING SYSTEMS

The basic grading system to be used at San Francisco State University is the A-F system
(see definitions above).

An alternative Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) system may be used under the following conditions:

A list of courses in which CR/NC grading is mandatory is maintained in each departmental
office.

In courses where the CR/NC option is permitted, but not mandatory, students must notify
the instructor in writing, by the end of the sixth week of instruction, of their decision to
be evaluated on the CR/NC basis. No change in this decision is permitted after the eighth
week of instruction.

No more than 30% of the units earned at this university, and applied toward an
undergraduate degree, may be taken for CR grades.

For students working toward a master's degree, no more than 30% of the units used on
the Graduate Approved Program, including transfer work, may be taken for CR grades.

All students in a given class, whether being evaluated on the A-F or CR/NC basis, are to
be treated in the same manner with respect to assignments, methods of evaluation, and
standards of performance. The only difference is in the symbol entered on the student's
official grade record.

Students who select CR/NC grading should be informed that CR grades may be interpreted
as a C and NC grades may be changed to an F when considered by other institutions.

Use of Incomplete Authorized (I) Grade

The symbol "I" (Incomplete Authorized) indicates that a portion of required course work has
not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully
justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit. It is the
responsibility of the student to bring pertinent information to the attention of the
instructor and to determine from the the instructor the remaining course requirements that
must be satisfied to remove the incomplete. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed
upon has been completed and evaluated.

An incomplete must normally be made up within one calendar year immediately following the
end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not the
student maintains continuous enrollment. Failure to complete the assigned work will result in
an I being converted to an IC symbol.

If a student has extenuating circumstances and an extension of the one year is necessary,
the student should contact the instructor involved and obtain a designated extension of time
to make up the incomplete. The form to be used for this extension is the Petition for Waiver
of College Regulations. The petition must be approved by the instructor and the department
chair and forwarded to the Registrar's Office.

A grade of Incomplete (I) will not be changed after a degree or credential has been awarded
even though it is made up within the time period.

Use of Report in Progress (RP) Grade

The RP symbol is used in connection with theses, projects, and similar courses in which
assigned work frequently extends beyond a single academic term. It indicates that work is in
progress and has been evaluated and found to be satisfactory to date, but that assignment of a
precise grade must await completion of additional work. Cumulative enrollment in units
attempted may not exceed the total number applicable to the student's educational objective.
The RP symbol shall be replaced with the appropriate final grade within one year of its
assignment except for graduate culminating experience courses.

Use of Withdrawal Unauthorized (WU) Grade

The symbol WU shall be used where a student, who is enrolled on the census date, does not
officially withdraw from a course but fails to complete it. Its most common use is in those
instances where a student has not completed sufficient course assignments or participated in
sufficient course activity to make it possible, in the opinion of the instructor, to report
satisfactory or unsatisfactory completion of the class by use of the letter grade (A-F). The
instructor shall report the last know date of attendance by the student. The WU symbol shall
be identified identified as a failing grade in the transcript legend, and shall be counted as
units attempted but not passed in computing the grade point average. In courses that are graded
CR/NC or in cases where the student has elected CR/NC evaluation, use of the WU symbol is
inappropriate and NC shall be used instead.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE

Grade point averages are determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned
by the total number of units attempted in courses in which A-F grades are assigned.

DEFINITION OF SEMESTER UNIT

One Semester Unit--One class meeting per week for fifteen (15) weeks. (At least two hours
of study is expected in preparation for each hour of class.) or

Three hours of laboratory work per week for fifteen (15) weeks, or

Two hours of class work in activity-type courses in art, music, and speech per week for
fifteen (15) weeks.
(At least one hour of outside preparation is expected for each hour of laboratory or activity
class work.)

Summer session and extension units are evaluated on a basis of hours to units equal to
those above, but adapted to the special schedules of these programs.

DEFINITION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT (CEU)

CEUs are nationally recognized units of measurement for participation in professional
development programs for which academic credit is not awarded. CEUs may neither be applied to
nor substituted for graduation requirements. One CEU is earned for 10 hours of instruction.
San Francisco State University policy requires an evaluation of student learning for all
courses which award CEUs.

GRADE CHANGES

Letter grades are not convertible to other letter grades and NC grades are not convertible
to CR grades except in cases of instructor or administrative error. All grade changes are by
petitions, with a recommendation of a grade change by the instructor and the approval of the
department chair and/or college dean.

Except in cases of instructor or administrative error, CR/NC grades are not convertible
to letter grades or vice versa. All grade change requests involving the CR/NC option are by
petition, with a recommendation by the instructor and the approval of the department chair
and/or college dean. Requests for reasons other than clerical error are subject to review by
the Board of Appeals and Review.

A student wishing to request a retroactive grade change, withdrawal, or addition must
initiate the request during the semester in attendance immediately following the semester
when the original grade was assigned or the course in question was offered.

Retroactive change of grades and withdrawals are subject to review by the Board of
Appeals and Review.

Grade changes are not permitted after the award of a degree or credential, unless the
change is for a course not used for the degree (in the case of a graduate student continuing
after the award of a degree or readmitted second baccalaureate student) or in the case of a
formal school grade appeal process when the request has been initiated by the student in the
semester immediately following the award of the grade.

Request for W is not a grade change, rather it is a request for retroactive withdrawal.

Student Appeal for Grade Change

San Francisco State University policy, consistent with California State University policy,
guarantees the student a right to appeal a final course grade when the student believes that
the assigned grade does not reflect what the student has earned according to the criteria for
grading as outlined by the instructor of the course. SFSU policy states that: (1) It is the
responsibility of the instructor of each course to define his/her grading policy and criteria
as early in the semester and as explicitly as possible while conforming to accepted university
practices. If there is any deviation from this original statement of course policy, all
affected students should be informed. (2) It shall be assumed that the grade assigned is
correct and that the student appealing the grade must justify the need for a change of the
grade assigned. (3) Normally, grade appeals should be resolved informally between the student
and faculty involved. (4) A student who believes s/he has been assigned an improper grade
should meet with the instructor of record and together review the grading procedures used to
determine the grade assigned on the student's transcript. If, after careful review of the
grading procedures, the student is still dissatisfied, or if the instructor of record refuses
to take part in the informal process, the student may initiate the formal grade appeal
procedure of the particular SFSU college by which the course is offered. For information
about the specific grade appeal policies and procedures of each of the eight colleges,
contact the appropriate college dean's office.

REPEAT OF COURSES

Unless otherwise stated, courses may not be repeated for additional units of credit.

When undergraduate students must repeat a course in which the grade was F, they will earn
units completed only once. All units attempted and all grade points will be included in the
student's cumulative totals.

When undergraduate students choose to repeat a course in which the grade was passing, in
order to raise the grade, they will be charged for all units attempted and all grade points
earned but units completed will be granted only once.

A student in graduate standing may not repeat a course taken for credit since earning the
baccalaureate degree, in which a grade of C or better was earned on the first attempt. Grades
of C- or lower are not acceptable on a Graduate Approved Program for meeting the requirements
of a master's degree.

If graduate students repeat a course in which a C or lower grade was earned, they will be
charged for all units attempted and all grade points earned but units completed will be
granted only once. (Thus, the grades earned will represent an average of the number of times
the course was taken. Units are counted on the GAP only once.)

It is not possible for graduate students to raise their undergraduate grade point average
by repeating undergraduate courses.